1865: The 13th Amendment abolishes slavery.
1868: The 14th Amendment grants citizenship and equal protection under the law.
1870: The 15th Amendment guarantees citizens the right to vote regardless of race.
1896: Plessy v. Ferguson establishes “separate but equal” doctrine.
1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) forms.
1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Order 8802, banning racial discrimination in defense industries.
1848: President Harry Truman desegregated the armed forces with Executive Order 9981.
1954: Brown v. Board of Education overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, declaring school segregation is unconstitutional
1955-1956: The Montgomery Bus Boycott begins after Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat, leading to the desegregation of buses.
1957: The Little Rock Nine attend Central High School in Arkansas under federal protection.
1960: The Greensboro Sit-Ins spark a wave of nonviolent protests at segregated lunch counters.
1961: Freedom Riders challenge segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.
1963: The March on Washington Street and Martin Luther King Jr.’s gives his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech.
1964: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.
1965: Malcolm X is assassinated and the Slema Montgomery marches lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, banning discriminatory voting practices.
1966: The Black Panther Party forms.
1968: Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated (sparking riots) and the Fair Housing Act passes, prohibiting discrimination in housing.
1971: Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education supports busing to achieve school integration.
1983: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is established as a federal holiday.
2008: Barack Obama is elected as the first black president.
2020: Protests emerge after the death of George Floyd.
2021: Juneteenth is recognized as a holiday.